As a youngster growing up in Abbotsford, BC, Mauro Ranallo fell in love with professional wrestling.

By the time he was 16, he was working as an announcer and manager for All-Star Wrestling in Vancouver and over the last 30 years, he has become one of the iconic voices in combat sports and professional wrestling, bringing his unique brand of commentary to Japan's Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, Glory Kickboxing and Showtime Championship Boxing.

Last year, he was hired by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and dubbed "The Voice of Smackdown," debuting on the long-running weekly show on December 15, 2015.

"It's hard to believe it has already been a year," joked Ranallo, speaking with The Province on Thursday afternoon. "Professionally, it's a dream come true – it's as simple as that. I could not be more grateful and thankful to everyone, from Vince McMahon and 'Triple H' and really, the one person I need to single out is Michael Cole, 'The Voice of WWE.'

"I don't think I would have been the success I have been this year in WWE if it weren't for Michael Cole's mentorship and the fact that Vince McMahon and the company allowed me to be me. There were rumours and rumblings that being an announcer at WWE isn't the best thing because of the way you're produced and all this other stuff, but I've got to say, they've been very, very good to me and allowed me to live the dream."

For the likeable and loquacious 46-year-old, the best part of this past year is being able to share it with his family, who introduced him to professional wrestling "from the womb" as he said, and would gather together to enjoy the in-ring theatrics and entertainment long before Ranallo's dreams calling the action on the biggest stage in sports entertainment became a reality.

"I've always felt that my family was proud of me, but they never really understood everything I was doing or maybe weren't even fans of what I was doing," said Ranallo, who still manages to find time in his cramped schedule to record a weekly podcast with his long-time friend and former Pride FC commentary partner Bas Rutten. "I know my mom doesn't like extreme violence and that stuff, but I think this, because it is something that we have shared my entire life, is what has made this year extra special.

"Instead of just watching the show, now every week they're watching their son."

But Ranallo isn't back in the Lower Mainland to call the action from inside the squared circle. Instead, he's made a quick trip back to his old stomping grounds to talk about his battles with bipolar affective disorder as the guest speaker at the Odd Squad Christmas Party and fundraiser.

"The Odd Squad is a group of current and former police officers who have started a production company and used various forms of media, especially documentaries, to try to help youth stay away from drugs and gang life and to help youth stay on the straight and narrow," explained Ranallo, who was asked by his brother Romolo, a member of the Vancouver Police Department, to speak at this evening's event.

"The reason that I agreed to do this – and based on the ridiculous schedule I have, I don't get many opportunities – is (a) it's something my brother asked me to do and (b) it is something that is very near and dear to my heart because, as you know from the nature of our relationship, I've been open about my battles with mental health issues going on the majority of my adult life."

For Ranallo, who has always been open about his struggles and discussed his on-going battle with bipolar disorder at length in an outstanding feature titled "Battling the Stigma" with Joseph Santoloquito for Sherdog, the opportunity to share his story and shed light on mental health issues is what he is most proud of and hopes to be remembered for more than anything else.

Given the chance to do so again Thursday through the Odd Squad, he jumped at the opportunity.

"This marks the first opportunity that I get to speak in front of an audience of this kind about my battles with bipolar affective disorder," he explained. "I've been very open on my podcast, very open in interviews, but never had the opportunity to speak in front of a group of people of this nature about my own struggles, but more importantly, my own success and if I can inspire or motivate one person in dealing with these kinds of issues through talking about my own experience, it's obviously something worth doing.

"We should all aspire to leave a legacy on this planet and everyone has their own path, but for me, as much as I've accomplished professionally, I would like my legacy to be that I was a champion for mental health causes because I know personally what it has cost me in the loss of friends and coworkers and just the fact that so many people do struggle in silence and I don't want that to be the case moving forward.

"I know it's cliché almost, but every Monday on social media, my first tweet is 'Keep up the good fight! #MentalHealthMonday #EndTheStigma,'" he added. "Some weeks, I might get five or ten responses and others I might get more, but every response is the same – 'Thank you; you just made me feel better on a rough day' or 'Wow – I never thought someone like you would struggle from that.'

"To me, that's what means more than calling Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao or being at WrestleMania or anything else I've accomplished. To me, helping people and giving back is what we should all aspire to in this world."